Questioning the Media Chapter 2

Question 1: What was your first encounter with the Internet like? How did it compare with your first encounters with other mass media?

I can not really remember my first encounter with the Internet. I am guessing that I was in Kindergarten, in elementary school, the school had internet that students accessed. The first time I can really remember using the internet to search for information was in fourth grade when I was did a project with my best friend f

or the science fair. We did our project on elephants, and we were able to learn about elephants, and then make a presentation. But I think when I was in third grade, was as far as I can

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mber back to that I first officially used email. I traveled to Canada with my mom, and the only way to communicate with my friends at home were by email. I would walk over to the library every day and get on the internet and check my email. Most of my first encounters with other mass media was when I was younger, and back to before I can remember. One of the newer forms of internet is Google Chrome and I have gotten to be introduced to it now. There are many mass medias, and many were in place before I was born. I do not recall remembering my encounters, because I was young in age.

Question 4: Do you think virtual communities are genuine communities? Why or why not?

I do not think that virtual communities are genuine, and I do believe that some people let themselves believe a little too much into virtual communities. Virtual communities are a way for people to get to know each other, and be part of a community, but I feel that a community is a group of people that can physically join together with one another and have a connection. With virtual communities, it is very rare that you are going to physically be standing side by side with one another, and that doesn't mean, having your character that you made in the virtual world to stand beside your neighbor. Many people use these virtual worlds instead of being social in the real society. This is not a good thing, and is why I think virtual communities are not genuine communities.

Question 5: As we move from a print-oriented industrial Age to a digitally based Information Age, how do you think individuals, communities, and nations will be affected?

Many individuals that have had their lives more than half percent in the print-oriented Age, is going to be completely thrown off, if we go to a complete digitally based Information age. Many of my grandparents friends, have no clue what I am talking about, if I refer to sending pictures via email, or blogging on the internet like I am doing now. Communities will be affected because there are many places that have people who can not afford to have a computer, let alone connection to the internet. This makes, things really complicated, because then the community will have citizens that are not getting the information and the news, if the print-oriented age disappears. Living in the United States, I am very lucky to have the access in internet, and not tightly censored by the government. As the United States, slowing move out of the print-oriented age and into the digitally based information age, it may limit news and information getting to other parts of the world. Everyone will be affected as this change happens, even those people that have a computer and have the internet.